Power and Control as Motives for Sexual Assault: What's the Evidence?

Popular theories of sexual assault propose that non-sexual needs play a key role in explaining sexual coercion. These formulations were influenced by the psychodynamic view that sexual aggression serves to compensate for perpetrators' self-perceived inadequacies.

Due to limitations of early theories, contemporary explanations of sexual assault are multifactorial in nature. The need for power and control is one of several predisposing factors. This presentation will include an overview of prominent theories of sexual assault. The empirical justification for construing sexual aggression as a compensatory mechanism serving non-sexual needs will be critically reviewed.